Aeonian
by Sassybratt
Summary: Post-manga. He waited 400 years to see her again, but only had three years to say goodbye. One-shot.


Aeonian (ee-oh-nee-uh n) _(adj)_ 1\. eternal; everlasting.

 **Aeonian**

The date had been ingrained in his mind ever since her return. He knows he won't miss it, but it surprises him when he arrives a week late. He peers into the dark shack, knowing the well is sealed, and drinks in the sight of her after hundreds of years.

She gazes down into the well longingly, but as he steps down and the stair creaks, she startles and turns, dark hair brushing against her shoulders. Her brown eyes, shimmering with tears, can barely make out his face through the moonlight shining into the well house.

His name falls from her lips in a whisper. _"Inuyasha…"_

He smiles, a breath of relief passing over his lips. _"Hey."_

Her reaction quick, she hugs him, pressing her face into the fabric of his shirt. _"I thought you were gone forever,"_ she sobs, clutching to his chest.

" _I always come for you. I thought you knew that by now."_ He embraces her in return, breathing in the scent that had been absent for so, so long.

He takes her hand and pulls her out of the well house to the Goshinboku, and while they walk, she notices the differences in his appearance. He no longer resembles a boy, but a man; his eyes no longer innocent, but jaded, as if he had seen too much of the world. His amber eyes are closer to a hazel, and the ears she loves so much are hidden from sight. He twists a silver ring absently on his right hand.

" _What is that?"_ she asks, motioning toward it.

He glances down, regarding the ring for a moment. _"A concealment ring. It allows me to live in a world that knows nothing of demons."_

She stays silent at that as they stand beneath the tree, peering up to the scar engraved in bark that twisted their strings of fate. She knows that he's older than when she had last seen him, that it has been hundreds of years since he has been near the well. But she decides not to bring it up.

Pulling him to a bench, they sit, and she leans her head on his shoulder. _"I've missed you."_

" _I've missed you, too, Kagome,"_ he whispers in return, voice deeper than she remembers.

" _What happened…after I left?"_

He sighs. _"Let's not talk about that now. I'm just happy to have found you again."_

She smiles, her vision blurring with tears. _"Me, too."_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _Come on, Inuyasha!"_ Kagome begs again, her tone pleading. _"Please tell me!"_

" _No,"_ he answers, his tone firm. _"I told you, I'm not giving anything away about your future."_

" _But I return to you, right?"_ she says, pausing to grasp his hand in both of hers. _"I find a way back to you?"_

He glances at her out of the corner of his eye as a small smile tugs at his lips. _"Yeah, you find your way back."_

She laughs and squeals like the school girl she is, spinning across the shrine grounds. _"How long?"_

He sighs. She's asked before and he always gives the same answer. _"I can't tell you."_

She pouts, her usual response, but she's used to this by now. She knows how important it is to remain ignorant. Because knowing could hinder her return to the world beyond the well, and no matter how much she wanted to know, she has sense enough not to pry. So she quickly smiles again. _"Do Miroku and Sango get married? Do they have kids? Oh, I bet they have so many kids!"_

He rolls his eyes at her prattling, but doesn't comment, letting her mind wander to all the possibilities.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _Why don't you ever take it off?"_ she asks him one day.

He looks up and notices her gaze trained on the ring, bound to his right middle finger, instead of her mathematics homework. _"Because."_

" _I understand why you wear it around town,"_ she heeds quietly, leaning her elbow on the table and her head in her hand. _"But there's no need to wear it here."_

He exhales deeply, running a hand through his hair. _"I don't know. I guess I just got used to wearing it after all these years."_

She bites her lip, her eyes curiously watching him, and then, _"Can you take it off?"_ His hesitant expression prompts her to follow up with, _"For me?"_

He contemplates her for another moment, and then slowly, he reaches down to twist it off his finger. She can feel the magic waver between them as the concealment spell is dispersed, and leaves her staring into the eyes of _her_ Inuyasha.

The amber eyes she had come to know so well, _had grown to love_ , stare back at her with uncertainty, as the dog ears sitting upon his head come back into view.

Tears fill her eyes and she sniffles.

He looks at her, alarmed. _"Wait, Kagome, don't cry! I'm sorry! What did I do?"_

She laughs at his worried expression, wiping a tear from her cheek. _"Nothing,"_ she assures him. _"I've just missed you, is all."_

And just like old times, she reaches up and tweaks his ear just for a minute, and although so many times before he would discourage her from doing so, this time he lets her.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

She starts to notice the subtle changes almost two years after Inuyasha has returned to her. He almost constantly reaches for her hand to hold while they walk in the city, and begins to call into work sick simply to spend the day with her.

She doesn't think anything of it at first. But as the weeks turn into months, it becomes more obvious, causing her to bring it to his attention.

" _What's going on, Inuyasha?"_ she asks him one afternoon as they venture to the park after her exam.

He glances over at her, eyes curious. _"What're you talking about?"_

She sighs. _"You've been acting… different lately."_

" _You think so?"_

" _Yeah."_

He hums, and she knows he's keeping something from her. _"Is it a bad different?"_

She purses her lips. _"Well, no, I guess not."_

" _Then there's nothing to worry about, right?"_

She stares at him long and hard, still concerned, but knowing he won't tell her unless he wants to. _"Yeah, right,"_ she agrees, and he gives her a smile.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

On the days in which Kagome is off at school or visiting a friend, Inuyasha busies himself with helping at the shrine. He doesn't mind it much, choosing to enjoy the simple pleasures he has missed for a long time and the company that comes with it.

" _There you are,_ " Kagome's mother greets him in the storage shed, bearing a gift of a cool glass of tea. _"You mustn't work so hard._ "

He waves off her admonishment. " _It's not a big deal."_

" _Still. We really appreciate the extra help."_

Taking the glass appreciatively, he takes a seat on one of the sturdy wooden boxes. He knows she wants to talk about something by the way she lingers and her lips pull into a tight line.

" _What is it?"_ he asks, raising his brows.

She sighs, clasping her hands in front of her. _"I know that, eventually, Kagome will be leaving us."_

His ear flicks atop his head, nervousness creeping in. He knows Kagome speaks openly with her mother, but didn't expect her to confront him directly about it.

" _Uh… Yeah…"_ he admits sheepishly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

Ms. Higurashi nods, shifting her gaze. _"I've been waiting for this day."_

Her words startle him, and he shoots his brows up in surprise.

She laughs at his expression. _"Did you honestly believe a mother wouldn't know where her daughter's heart lies?"_ She shakes her head with amusement. _"I've known the fate of my daughter since that day I found her crying beneath the Sacred Tree."_

He tilts his head, unsure of what day she speaks of. _"When…?"_

" _Not long after you two met,"_ she confesses.

He swallows hard, his heart thumping in his ears. He remembers Kagome mentioning the day briefly after they wed.

" _Inuyasha,"_ her mother speaks now, drawing him back from his memories. _"I want you to promise me something."_

" _Sure."_

" _I want you to be happy."_

His breath catches for a moment as he's caught off guard.

She smiles at his surprised expression. _"You deserve to be happy,"_ she explains gently. _"No matter what you think or what you've done in the past, you deserve to be happy."_

He recalls a day long, long ago, in which a teenage girl wanted the same thing for him. The sun had shined brightly down with a soft breeze caressing the trees, and she had made a promise – a promise that had followed them to her last days.

Tears come to his eyes as he nods. _"Thanks,"_ he mumbles with a light blush to his cheeks, unsure of what else to say.

" _Good,"_ she confirms, swiping at her cheek. As she turns to leave, she pauses in the doorway and glances over her shoulder. _"Someday, my daughter will be gone, but the rest of us will remain. You will always have a home here, Inuyasha. Don't ever forget that."_

He smiles, and she misses the way it lingers.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

He holds Kagome close one sunny afternoon as the orange hues of dusk filter into her room. He buries his nose deep into her hair, inhaling her scent, and listening to the steady beat of her heart that thumps in tune with his own.

" _Inuyasha,"_ she mumbles through his shirt.

" _Hm?"_

She swallows thickly. _"What's wrong?"_

Her words are so full of sorrow and concern, he can't bear to allow it place any longer. He pulls back, his concealment ring abandoned on the table, as amber eyes flicker over hers.

" _Nothing's wrong,"_ he tries to convince, brushing a stray piece of dark hair over her ear. _"Everything is just as it should be."_

She doesn't believe him, he knows. She furrows her brow, eyes flickering over his expression as she tries to figure out what he's hiding. And then he sees it, slow at first, and then recognition lights up her entire face. Her eyes widen, brows rising in alarm, and her jaw slackens as a soft breath escapes.

" _It's almost time, isn't it?"_ she whispers, her voice catching.

He smiles warmly, a fang protruding from his lip, but he refuses to confirm or deny. _"I love you, Kagome,"_ he says, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. _"Always."_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _Inuyasha,"_ Kagome calls from down below.

He peeks one eye open from where he lazes in the boughs of the Goshinboku, eyeing her through the leaves. _"What is it?"_

" _Can you come down here, please?"_

He rolls his eyes and does as she asks, landing easily on the cobblestone path. _"Shouldn't you be in class?"_ he chastises, folding his arms over his chest. _"Didn't you miss enough of those when you were on the other side of the well?"_

" _What's the point?"_ she suddenly shouts at him, her tone angry.

He raises a brow, ears flickering atop his head. _"What do you mean 'what's the point?'"_

She balls her hands into fists, tears swimming in her eyes, as she glares at him. _"If-If someday I return to feudal Japan, what's the point of all this? What's the point of going to school, or-or picking out a university, or figuring out what kind of job I want? If I'm not going to have a future here, what's the point?"_

He studies her for a moment and then steps toward her, grasping her arms. _"The point, Kagome, is that you can't return to the other side of the well until you're ready. You need to live out your life here as fully as you can, just like you would do if I had never shown up."_

" _But what if I don't want to?"_ she demands. _"What if I would rather be preparing for my return? I should be studying up on herbs, or practicing my archery."_

" _Shit,"_ he exhales deeply, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. _"I never should have come here. I never should have told you anything!"_

" _Why not?"_ she asks, pulling on his hand as he turns to walk away.

" _Because the well won't open if you're not ready."_

" _What do you mean by ready? How will I know when I'm ready?"_

" _You won't, Kagome. You won't know until you do."_

She cries out, breaking his heart, as tears roll down her flushed cheeks. _"That's not telling me anything!"_

" _Because I'm not even supposed to be here!"_ he argues.

She pauses, taking a breath to look at him.

He shakes his head, motioning toward his appearance. _"Look at me, Kagome,"_ he insists. _"I'm hundreds of years older than I was back when we met. I'm not the same boy you knew."_

" _I-I know that,"_ she tries to explain.

" _I don't think you do."_ He sighs again, ears twitching anxiously on his head. _"The boy you fell in love with, the boy you left standing at the well, he's still five-hundred years in the past. He's still waiting for you."_

She sniffles, averting her eyes.

" _He needs you to be ready, Kagome,"_ he implores, folding her into his arms. _"Do you understand me?"_

His only answer is a nod against his chest.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _What will happen to you?"_ she asks him one day as they're making dinner. The low hum of the television can be heard from the living room as Kagome's family finishes watching the game.

Amber eyes flicker toward her. _"What do you mean?"_

She is silent for a moment, and then, _"When I finally return to the other side of the well, what will happen to you?"_

He shrugs. _"Not sure. Haven't thought that far ahead."_

" _But if the only thing keeping you going all these years was to see me again, what will keep you going after I'm gone? There won't be a future left with me in it."_

He knows it was a mistake to have told her that so long ago. So many times after he had lost all his friends, his children, and then his grandchildren, he had wanted to quit. Hundreds of years had passed and he still had hundreds to go. And it was the thought of seeing her again that kept him moving, kept him pushing forward.

" _I'll be fine,"_ he tries comforting her, not really sure if he will be or not. _"I'll probably go see what Sesshomaru's been up to all this time."_

She doesn't believe him, and it shows as she pauses in chopping vegetables and turns to look at him. _"Inuyasha, I'm not going to be ready to return if I'm worried about you."_

" _Then don't be."_

She frowns. _"It may have been five-hundred years for you, but it's been a lot less for me. How am I supposed to leave the man I love heartbroken, just so I can be happy with the boy I love?"_

He takes her hand, rubbing soothing circles over hers with the pad of his thumb. _"Knowing you're alive and happy, knowing that you've finally returned to me, that will be enough. I'll be okay."_

" _Liar."_

He smirks at her expression, knowing she is never fooled by him. _"Remember how many times I left you for Kikyou?"_ he asks.

She narrows her eyes, the wounds still fresh. _"How could I forget?"_

" _I was leaving the girl I loved heartbroken just so I could relieve the guilt I felt over the girl I knew."_ He nods his head, amber eyes surging with clarity. _"Now it's your turn. I left you so many times, and now it's time to leave me. Just this once."_

She pulls her lips into a thin line, pushing hair behind her ear, and then she grants him a grim smile. _"When did you become so reasonable?"_ she questions quietly. With a deep sigh, she returns to chopping vegetables.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Kagome's graduation day.

Hazel eyes watch from afar as she takes pictures with those three nosey friends of hers, and that Hojo guy he doesn't much care for. Her mother laughs in celebration, her brother hugs her tightly, and the old man looks on fondly.

But deep inside, Inuyasha knows he can do none of those things.

" _Congratulations, Kagome,"_ he greets as she parades over to him with her diploma. _"These are for you."_

" _Wow, they're beautiful!"_ she gushes, smelling the bouquet of roses he gifts her. _"I can't believe I finally made it!"_

" _Yeah, it's a miracle,"_ he jokes, receiving a playful shove.

" _Let's head home,"_ she says with a laugh, nodding toward her family. _"Mama said she's going to cook a celebratory meal tonight. All of my favorites!"_

He chuckles, slipping his hands into his jean pockets as he follows after her. He trails behind just a step, allowing her to laugh and celebrate with her family, because he knows soon that she will have to leave them behind.

He remembers years back, after Kagome had returned to him in the feudal era, he had asked her if she ever regretted leaving her family behind in modern Tokyo, and each time she had denied it. She confessed that she missed them a great deal, and wished her mom could be there for her during certain moments, and that Souta could be her teasing younger brother when she struggled with something. She even missed her grandfather's old stories and wished she had listened to them more intently.

But she never regretted it. So he knows, as he watches her parade with her family toward home, that she will be okay.

They make it back to the shrine, a little too quickly, in his opinion, but soon Kagome has set down her flowers and diploma. _"I'm going to the well,"_ she calls to her mother.

Even after his return, she still never stopped going to the well every three days.

As they walk across the shrine grounds as dusk begins to approach, he grasps her hand in his when they pass beneath the Goshinboku. She squeezes it gently, smiling up at him, and he gives her a strained smile in return.

When they reach the well, he allows her to go to its rim, peeking over the side into the darkness beyond. She sighs. _"It's still sealed."_

" _It's because of your feelings."_ He takes off his concealment ring, placing it in his pocket, and allows his half-demon form to show. Amber eyes watch her curiously.

She turns then, eyes widening with realization. _"T-Today?"_

He nods to confirm, and tears immediately fill her eyes. _"The reason the well won't connect is because of your feelings."_

She nods, swallowing thickly. _"When the well disappeared and I was plunged into that darkness… I was so scared and sad. I didn't know I had been in the darkness for three days."_

She steps forward, into his arms, embracing him tightly.

" _I felt terrible that my family was scared and sad, too,"_ she continued gently. _"I was so happy to return home."_

" _And then the well closed."_

She sniffles against his chest. _"I-I thought about you all the time, even after you showed up. The other you. The one waiting for me."_

" _Keh,"_ he scoffs, running a hand through her hair. _"Is it weird that I'm jealous of myself?"_

She chuckles. _"You always were the jealous type."_

" _Was not."_

" _Was too."_

He sighs, allowing her to win this argument for once. _"Whatever."_

She clutches onto his shirt tighter, and he can feel tears wet his chest. _"The reason I went to the feudal era, the reason the jewel disappeared and the well stopped connecting… What I had to do was done. And I thought I would forever be in my—this world."_

" _A world without me."_

She pulls back, granting him a shaky smile. _"But then you were here, by my side, and everything felt okay again."_

He wipes a tear from her cheek. _"You know that you can't stay."_

She sniffles, nodding. _"I know. Because the Inuyasha I want to be with, the Inuyasha I'm meant to be with, is still waiting for me. I want to be with him."_

And then they feel it, the pull of magic from the well, and he can smell the scent of the forest trees. Her eyes widen, but she doesn't dare turn to look. Because Inuyasha's eyes are all the testimony she needs.

" _Kagome?"_ her mother calls as she peers into the well house, a worry line creasing her brow.

With tears in her eyes, Kagome turns to look at her. _"Mama…"_

" _What's wrong?"_ she asks, coming down the steps to her daughter's side.

Kagome pulls free from Inuyasha and glances toward the well. Her mother draws near, watching as her daughter peers down into the place that used to connect time. _"The sky…"_

Inuyasha watches as Ms. Higurashi's shoulders sag with acceptance. _"Kagome…"_

" _Mama… I'm sorry…"_

" _It's okay."_

As he watches them hold each other tightly in their arms, he knows it is no longer his place. He moves to leave, to allow Kagome the future she so deserves, but a hand on his wrist stops him.

" _You weren't going to say goodbye?"_

He looks back, taking in Kagome's flushed cheeks and watery eyes, and smiles. _"This isn't goodbye, Kagome,"_ he reminds her.

She shakes her head. _"It is for you,"_ she admonishes. _"It's goodbye for you."_

He stays quiet as she closes the space between them, taking his face into her hands. _"Kagome…"_

" _I love you, Inuyasha,"_ she promises fiercely. _"No matter what era, or lifetime, or future… I will always love you."_

" _I love you, Kagome."_ He can't form anymore words, choosing to stay silent as she reaches up and tweaks his ears a final time.

She smiles. _"Thank you, for everything. I wouldn't have been able to get through these past three years without you."_

" _Keh, sure you could've,"_ he denies. _"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."_

She doesn't comment on that, deciding instead to kiss him. He wraps his arms tightly around her, pulling her fiercely against him, as he allows all the feelings he had kept buried inside over the past four-hundred years to come forth.

She pulls away, breathless, and he almost forgets how weak her human stamina is. _"Don't tell them about me,"_ he mumbles, running his claws through her hair. _"They don't need to know."_

" _Yes, they do,"_ she says with a coy smile. _"You came here as a beacon of hope, promising me I would see you again. I'm human, Inuyasha. I obviously pass on long before you do. So how can I not go back and give my Inuyasha the same kind of hope? How can I not tell him that long after my death he'll see me again?"_

He grins, a fang peeking over his lip. _"I think he'd appreciate that."_

Her smile turns sad then, as she strokes his cheek, eyes searching his. _"You'll be okay?"_

" _Don't do this, Kagome,"_ he berates gently. _"Of course I'll be fine. But you need to go, before the well seals."_

She worries her bottom lip, glancing back at the well and her waiting mother. She turns to look at him once more. _"You better remember me when I'm gone."_

He chuckles, feeling a swell in his chest as his thoughts turn to a starry night under the Goshinboku so long ago. _"I'll never forget our times together. How could I?"_

" _And don't you dare let our best memories bring you sorrow."_

As he nods his head and agrees, he feels a weight he didn't know he had carried lift off his shoulders. This time, Kagome's final words were not just before she slipped into death. This time, they were just before she slips into life – a new life awaiting her just beyond the well.

She steps away from him then, her hand trailing down his arm until only their fingers link. And then she lets go, approaching her mother to say her final goodbye.

She turns, granting him a final smile, a final glance, before she disappears into the well in a flash of blue light.

And suddenly, his heart is constricting and tears come to his eyes. His knees almost buckle and he chokes back a sob as he realizes Kagome is finally, _finally,_ gone. This time, forever.

There is no more waiting. No more wondering and wishing. She is finally where she should be, back with the boy she belongs with.

" _Come now,"_ her mother beckons, wiping tears from her eyes as she rests a hand on Inuyasha's arm. _"We don't want supper to get cold."_

He lets her lead him, away from the well that's sealed for a final time, pass the Goshinboku where they first met and had started this fairy tale, to the house that he had visited so many times before, and to the family that waits inside.

Souta's eyes fall on them as they enter the house, and he immediately knows. Tears fill his eyes, but he's smiling. _"Kagome's gone?"_

" _Yeah,"_ Inuyasha confirms with a nod.

" _She's back where she belongs,"_ Ms. Higurashi amends, pulling out a chair for him.

Amber eyes gaze at her curiously, a surge of understanding passing between them, before he relaxes, his shoulders sagging, and a smile passes over his lips. _"Yeah."_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

She reaches up, out of the darkness toward the blue sky, gripping a familiar clawed hand.

"Inuyasha," she mumbles through her tears, drinking in his youthful appearance and amber eyes that were still so innocent. "I'm sorry. Were you waiting for me?"

"Kagome…" He pulls her to his chest and she can feel the familiar fabric of the fire rat robe. "You idiot. What have you been up to?"

She clutches onto him tightly, shaking her head. "We'll talk about that later," she promises, peering up at him with a smile. "I'm just glad to finally be home."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The last inkling of afternoon sun fell slanted through the window over glossy hardwood floor. Over the centuries, the glass had become thicker at the bottom and developed the waves that were now projected onto the wall. Although it was clean, barely enough light made it through to illuminate the room, giving it a dingy, almost dungeon-like feel.

Sesshomaru let a breath pass his lips as he closed his book shut, amber eyes shifting to the reflection appearing on the glass. "I assume she's gone?"

His brother appeared in the doorway. "Yeah," he admitted with grievance, not bothering to hide the affliction in his eyes. "She's gone."

He turned to move to the shelf, slipping the leather-bound book back where it belonged. "You surprise me," he murmured, slipping his glasses off while taking a seat at his desk. "I didn't foresee you actually letting her go."

" _Keh",_ Inuyasha scoffed, moving to sit on the edge of the desk. "It's not like I could make her stay."

"You could have," Sesshomaru pointed out. "But you chose not to."

Looking over the office, Inuyasha thought over the past few centuries, of how many times he had reappeared on Sesshomaru's doorstep. "How did you do it?" he asked quietly.

"Hn."

A memory long buried resurfaced, of a little girl and the warmth of her laughter.

"I cannot grant you reassurance," he finally said, watching his brother carefully. "Besides, none of my advice has ever helped you."

"I was never willing to listen before," Inuyasha barbed in return.

Sesshomaru resigned with a sigh. "This is why it has never worked – humans and demons," he admitted quietly, turning in his chair to gaze out at the sunset. "Their lives only amount to a blink of our existence. Love is pointless in the long-run. In two-hundred years, will you remember her eyes?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied without hesitation. He turned and leveled a glare on him. "I will always remember Kagome."

Amber eyes held a glint of humor that never crossed his lips. "Then I will tell you the heartache will fade," he said quietly.

Dark brows furrowed. "Making her stay… It's not what she would have wanted."

"So then…" Sesshomaru questioned, turning to face him. "What will you do now, Inuyasha?"

He cocked his head and gave his brother a sly smile. "You trying to get rid of me?"

"Always."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Come on, now, Sesshomaru. If I wasn't around to annoy you, you'd get bored."

"I could find other means of entertainment," he reminded, the corners of his lips tugging at the thought.

Ignoring his brother's teasing, Inuyasha's gaze drifted to the window, watching the sky fade. His eyes were steady to the horizon, face aglow with the last orange rays before twilight beckoned the stars. His lips bore the semblance of a smile, just enough to show that he enjoyed his thoughts, whatever they may be.


End file.
